


Shots of Hope

by Mikii



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair, Character Death, F/M, One Shot Collection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-02-23 09:29:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2542724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikii/pseuds/Mikii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of various oneshots and drabbles pertaining to Komaeda and Tsumiki.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Good Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was his good luck charm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Rain Kiss

Stood side by side beneath a bus shelter, the two teenagers remained equally silent, the boy staring on ahead as the girl stood with her gaze lowered toward the ground.

A rather miserable atmosphere surrounded the pair, fitting for the dark rainy weather currently ongoing around them.

So much for their 'first date'.

Nagito Komaeda had been certain the forecast hadn't mentioned any rain for today, it was the reason he'd decided on the idea for the two of them to visit the park so that they could take a boat ride on the lake and enjoy a picnic.

It must be his bad luck. After all, he'd thought their date had been going a bit too well to begin with, and that it was only a matter of time before his luck changed to balance it out.

Glancing aside, his eyes settled on the girl stood beside him, who had unfortunately chosen today to dress in a sleeveless summer dress with flat ballet shoes. Perfect for the sunny, warm weather that had been there when their date first began, but now?... The poor girl was drenched, dress clinging to her skin and feet squelching with each step forward. He'd forced her to accept his jacket and wear it over herself, helping somewhat to warm her up and get rid of the goosebumps that had broken out on her skin.

Aah, this day really hadn't gone as he'd hoped.

"I'm sorry, Tsumiki-san."

The girl in question started at the sudden comment, raising her head to look toward him. "Eh?"

He offered her a weak smile in response, one hand running through his own wet locks of hair as he spoke. "I was the one to ask you out to begin with, but my bad luck ruined the date. And after you dressed up so nicely, I'm sorry."

Her eyes widened at his apology, turning to face him. "N-No! Komaeda-san didn't do anything wrong!" Gaze moving aside, she lowered her voice. "I don't think the rain was Komaeda-san's fault. It... It was just an unfortunate occurrence, so uhm, please don't blame yourself..."

"Aah, you're too kind Tsumiki-san." He flashed her a smile which when she saw, her cheeks turned pink and she quickly averted her eyes again.

Returning his attention forward, he frowned. "But hmm, this rain doesn't seem like it's going to let up anytime soon. And this bus station is no longer in use."

"I... I think there's a town half a mile down the road..."

"There is." If they reached the town, there was sure to be a lodging they could stop by at to dry themselves, and certainly there would be working bus stops there. Thinking this over, he glanced down at Tsumiki, lips curving into a smile. "Hey, Tsumiki-san..."

"Y-Yes?" Meeting his gaze, she blinked up at him.

"How fast can you run?"

"...Huh?"

.

.

Her petite hand grasped within his own, the pair raced down the side of the road, rain pelting against them and feet splashing through puddles. It should only really take them five minutes or so to get there, but with this heavy rain, they may have as well gone for a swim in a lake considering how drenched they were.

Leading the way for Tsumiki, who struggled to run as fast as him, Komaeda found he really wasn't all that surprised when she let out a sudden cry of surprise, body colliding against him as she slipped.

Letting out a small yelp as they were sent to the floor, he at least managed to ensure he was the one who hit the ground with her safely atop of him (in a rather compromising position though, he should add).

She'd already fallen across him during their boat ride, and he'd experienced various other clumsy occurrences with her in school, leading Komaeda to be rather unphased when dealing with these events.

"Tsumiki-san, are you okay?"

He really didn't want to be laying on the wet ground any longer than necessary, especially when her legs seemed to be straddling his lower half, but her safety was his first pressing concern.

Releasing a small wail a moment later, she slowly lifted her head from his chest, tears already forming in her eyes as she glanced up at him, stray locks of hair falling across her face. Oh dear.

"Uuuu... K-Komaeda-san, I'm sorryyyy!!"

Giving what he hoped was a reassuring smile, he tried to placate her as he pushed her hair behind her ears. "It's okay, really. But are you alright?"

Sniffling, she gave a small nod, hands fisted into the material of his shirt. He was really quite conscious of her dress riding up her thighs as she sat on top of him, and could only be grateful she was wearing his jacket to cover what potential mishap could have happened with her dress straps and neckline.

Both of them moving to stand up, he brushed himself down, noting with dismay that there was now a hole in the side of his shirt where it had dragged against the ground. He didn't even need to look up to know Tsumiki had seen it, since he could hear her gasp before breaking into tears.

"I-I'm sorry!! I'll pay for it, I promise, s-so don't hate meee..." Hiccuping between her sobs, he couldn't tell the difference between tears and rain water on her face. Ah, really now...

"Tsumiki-san, it's perfectly fine. Of course I don't hate you, and it was only a cheap shirt, anyway." Well, actually it was quite expensive but she didn't need to know that.

Placing his hands on her shoulders, he smiled down at her, trying to comfort her as best as possible. The rain was still pouring, and he was anxious to keep moving on, but she couldn't possibly run in this state.

Watery eyes meeting his own, her lower lip trembled as she stared at him in misery. Moving one hand, he brushed his thumb beneath her eyes, removing away any lingering tears (though it really didn't do much good considering the rain falling down on their faces).

"So please... There's no need to cry, okay?"

Gaze anxious, she none the less gave a hesitant nod. "O... Okay."

Smile widening at her response, he leaned forward, and before even he himself knew what he was doing, placed his lips over hers. They felt cold and wet to the touch, and for a first kiss, many would probably not consider it all that special... But in Komaeda's case, it was just fine for him (and, he hoped, for her too). As she went still beneath his touch, and he pulled away a moment later, his eyes were greeted to the sight of her blushing fiercely.

"U-Uhm... that..." Stuttering too much to usher out any proper words, she stared at him wide-eyed.

"Hm?" Smiling at her, he prompted her to speak, eager to hear what she had to say. 

Swallowing nervously, she chewed her lower lip for a moment before finally speaking out in a quiet voice, cheeks pink but gaze unmoving from his own. "T-Thank you..."

He stared at her in surprise. He certainly hadn't expected her to say that, not when she had trouble even looking at him at times.

Before he could respond however, the rain above them slowly came to a stop, causing both teenagers to lift their heads and stare at the sky as the dark clouds gradually began to move away.

"I-It stopped..."

He gave a nod. "...So it did. My good luck finally kicked in for us." Lowering his head, he beamed at her only to find she had her eyes lowered toward the floor as she murmured quietly.

"M-Maybe that made the luck change..."

"That?" He knew very well what she meant, but he wanted to hear her say it.

Shoulders tensing, she gave a nod, shyly glancing op at him through her bangs. "Um, t-the kiss..."

His lips twitched upward at that. "Maybe it did." Leaning toward her so their faces were level and in near proximity, his eyes glimmered with amusement. "Perhaps we could try it again, and see if more good luck comes our way?"

As expected, she blushed at those words, lips parting as surprise crossed over her face.

What he _didn't_ expect, however, was for her to then give a small nod and smile as she whispered a timid "okay" in response.

This time, Komaeda found _he_ was the one whose cheeks turned pink, pulling abruptly away as he raised a hand to cover the lower half of his face and subsequently, the blush burning across his face.

"Uwah, I-I'm sorry! I said something weird, didn't I?"

As she floundered on the spot, he could only hide the smile now appearing on his face, thinking that in the end their date had ended quite well, after all. And if kissing Tsumiki truly was good luck, well... He wasn't at all bothered by the idea of doing that repeatedly.

"F-Forgive meeee!! Uyuuu..."

In fact, he was quite happy about the prospect.


	2. Lying Disease is a Bitch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Tsumiki-san is so worthless.”

Green eyes flutter open, staring up at the ceiling for a moment before moving toward the figure currently leaning over him and tucking the hospital bed sheets in. Taking in her nurse uniform and long, uneven hair, there’s no possible way to mistake who it is - even when his vision is swimming before him as it is.

“Tsumiki-san…”

The girl jumps slightly in surprise at his voice, wide eyes turning toward him. “K-Komaeda-san, you’re awake! I didn’t wake you did I?... Uwaah, I’m sorry!!”

Ah, always so quick to blame herself, wasn’t she?

“You’ve only just come out of critical condition, so you shouldn’t push yourself.” She went on, staring at him with anxious eyes as she checked his vitals.

He smiled at that. “I feel perfectly healthy.” Aah wait, why was there two Tsumiki’s before him? Wait, perhaps they were twins? Could she be the 17th student? To think Tsumiki would be in on it! And oh wait, she was speaking again...

“I’ll have Kuzuryuu-san and Hinata-san come visit you later on, i-if you want-“

“I don’t want to see either of those two.”

“Eh? B-But...”

“I don’t want to see you either.”

Her eyes widened at that, tears springing forth. If only she’d remember he was infected with the Lying Disease, she wouldn’t be getting so worked up. Or, okay, even then she most likely would but at least she’d realise they were lies. 

“I-I’ll just go then…”

Before the nurse could turn around to walk away however, a hand shot out, fingers coiling around her wrist and jerking her back. Letting out a small squeal of surprise, Tsumiki span around.

“W-Wha…”

Smiling widely, he sat up, still grasping her.

“N... No, Komaeda-san! You mustn’t sit up just yet, you need to recover! You-“

The young nurse found her words cut off however as Komaeda drew her closer, arms wrapping around her stomach in an embrace and head resting against her chest from his seated position. Face turning a shade of red upon that latter part, Tsumiki held her arms out at her side, not quite sure what to do with her hands in this situation.

“A-Ah, um…”

“Tsumiki-san is so worthless.” Komaeda murmured, hugging her more tightly with his eyes closed. “You’re not worthy of someone like me. Go away, I never want to see your face.”

Crying, the nurse pushed at his shoulders though he refused to budge. “Uyuuuu!! I-I’ll leave, I promise! But I can’t do that when you’re holding meeee!”

Aah, really now, couldn’t she realise he was lying already?

Removing his arms, before the nurse could move away however, Komaeda moved to cup her face in his hands. Tugging her down toward him, the young nurse found herself placing one knee on the bed as she was forced to lean down, his thumbs brushing across the skin of her cheek. By this point, Tsumiki's face was glowing red, appearing almost dizzy from the events transpiring.

Eyes meeting hers, he smiled softly at her. “You’re so ugly.”

“Huuu…”

“Nobody would like someone like you. Really, now. Why, in this moment, there’s nothing I’d want less than to kiss you. I’d rather eat garbage.”

Vision blurred with tears, she sniffled, body limp in his grasp and lower lip trembling from his words. “I… I’m sorry…”

Oh, well now he’d most certainly gone and broken her down hadn’t he? Trash such as him should be thrown away already. The only one here who should be treated with affectionate care was Tsumiki.

In fact...

Pulling her even closer still, the nurse only had time to blink before Komaeda pressed his lips against her own in a chaste kiss. Eyes widening at the action, this time she _did_ tear away from his grasp, one hand raising to touch her lips as she stumbled into some nearby drawers.

“W… W… What did…” Her voice shook as she tried to force words out, legs trembling and more than likely to give out had the set of drawers not been there to support her.

His smile widened as he stared at her. “I regret doing that, it was awful. Please erase it from your memory.”

“Eh?...”

It was in that moment that Komaeda fell back against the bed, head hitting the pillow with eyes already closed. The young nurse let out a cry of panic, rushing forward to tend to him as he very quickly drifted unconscious.

He hoped she would remember it. This one action of affection reserved only for her - even if it did come from someone like him.

_Tsumiki-san…_

“Uwaaah!! Komaeda-san, please hold on!”

He fell unconscious with a smile on his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told from Komaeda's POV, since at the time in the game here, Tsumiki would also be suffering from the Despair Disease unbeknownst to the others. ;A;


	3. Angel of Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was his wingless angel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Dangan Ronpa/Hunger Games cross-over drabble.

“Mikan Tsumiki ?”

The girl flinched, body twisting around to stare at the sudden addition to the riverside. Eyes wide with fear, she gawked at him, lips parted in preparation to scream – though what use would that do in the Arena? Nobody would come to the aid of one tribute being killed by another. If anything, they’d simply check the area out on the off chance of murdering her killer.

Noting her expression, the fair haired boy smiled, holding up his arms before him in a sign of peace though it did nothing to relax her. “Ah, don’t worry, I’m not here to kill you. If I’d wanted to, I would have done that already by now.”

“Uyuu…”

“A-Ah, don’t cry!” He took a step forward, his gaze happening to dip down before he hastily brought it back up to her face. In that moment, the young girl realised she was still very much half-naked and squeaked as she hurried to cover her chest with her arms, taking a step back in the shallow waters. She’d been in the middle of quickly washing the grime off her skin before he happened to come across her. 

The boy gave an uneasy smile, eyes focused solely on her face. “Let’s talk, hm Tsumiki-san?”

.

.

.

“Why... Why didn’t you kill me?” She whispered, the first sentence she’d uttered in his presence. Now fully clothed, the dark haired girl stood several feet behind him, warily watching his back as he crouched down beside some bushes and inspected the berries upon it.

Didn’t he know how careless it was to show his back to an enemy? She could so easily kill him right then with the knife hidden in her jacket pocket – they were all enemies after all.

“I want to form an alliance with you.”

“M-Me?” She stuttered, surprise flashing across her face as he looked over his shoulder. When their gazes met, she saw no traces of mockery or dishonesty in his expression.

He observed her for a moment before relaxing into a leisurely smile. “Aah.” Standing up, he turned to face her completely. “I’ve been watching you for a while actually, since you entered The Capitol.”

“Y-You have?” As he began to pace towards her, she stepped back, hand slowly inching for her pocket – could she kill someone if it really called for it? Someone pathetic like her?

He gave a nod, smiling serenely. “You have excellent talents, Tsumiki-san.”

“Fwah? I… I don’t know what you…” Back hitting the bark of a tree, she could only tremble as he neared closer and towered over her, leaning closer…

…to take one of her hands in his.

Violet eyes blinking in surprise, she watched as he turned one of her hands over in his own, smiling down at it with fondness. “Aaah, such beautiful hands that can bring life. I overheard some officials discussing you and saying you’d managed to save several people in your district who others had dismissed as a lost cause.”

She was unnerved by how he was grinning whilst staring at her hand, and after giving a small tug, he let it go without resistance and took a step back. Returning to a more casual stance, he held out his arms toward her.

“So? What do you say? An alliance? I’m sure with my good luck and your healing abilities, we can survive.”

She shouldn’t trust him. Alliances always ended in the tributes backstabbing one another – it couldn’t end any other way. But… How would she survive otherwise? Swallowing, she tentatively nodded, hoping she hadn’t just signed her death warrant.

“District 1 and District 9 together, let’s work together Tsumiki-san…" A pause. "Oh right, I’m Nagito Komaeda by the way.”

She could only watch him with a wary expression.

This would be okay for now… right?

.

.

.

Feet hitting the ground, her hair flew out behind her, her hair tie long since lost as trees blurred past her. Tears prickled at the corner of her eyes as she ran and ran, a stitch burning into her side and her heart hammering inside her chest.

“Uwah!” As her foot landed on a patch of leaves, suddenly the young nurse found herself being pulled into the air, the world taking a 180 turn as she hung limply from the tree branch upside down. The rope of the hidden trap tightened around her ankle, and as nearby running footsteps drew nearer, her expression fell.

She’d run straight into their trap.

“Ha! Looks like we caught the ugly bitch, I get dibs on first slice.”

_Saionji._

As the group of three girls and one boy came into view, Tsumiki’s eyes flickered from one the other. She remembered them from the trials. Of course there was Saionji who hated her guts, and then the red-head Mahiru. The other two were Peko and Kuzuryuu, tributes from the same district who were both cold and callous.

She was a goner, wasn’t she?

“Aah, I thought I told you to stay in the cave?”

That voice…

Eyes widening, Tsukimi turned her head as best as she could in her current position, eyes falling on the pale haired boy stood against a tree trunk and giving her an exasperated shake of the head.

“I guess my bad luck must have effected you.”

“Who are you?” Saionji snapped, still standing beside the hanging girl with a knife held in her hand. “Big Sis Peko, go run him through.”

The silver haired girl narrowed her eyes but said nothing in response, the only one she seemed to reply to and take orders from was the younger boy.

With a sigh, Komaeda stepped forward. “I do hope my good luck helps me here.”

Tsumiki could only watch in wonder as he defeated them all.

.

.

.

He’d saved her life twice now.

First, from the group who had been about to kill her.

And secondly, from the trackerjackers when they’d appeared.

Seated beside one another in the cavern, Tsumiki stared at the ground as she hugged her knees to herself. A small fire sat between them, the two of them deeming it safe since the smoke was little and scarcely made it outside to alert anybody else.

Over the past number of days, they’d both sustained injuries. Komaeda had lost his left hand, and Tsumiki had injured her left eye so badly that without medical treatment from the Capitol it was a lost cause – she was also certain some of her ribs were broken.

It had to end.

“Eventually… o-one of us will have to kill the other.” She didn’t want to say it aloud, since they had formed some sense of comradery between them, but it was inevitable. With only five tributes left including themselves, the time for one of them to die was near.

Komaeda only nodded, not even bothering to deny it. “Yes, you will kill me.”

“E-Eh?” Her head snapped up, eyes staring at him in horror.

Smiling, he met her eyes and she was greeted once again with a deranged expression that would surface every so often upon him without warning. “I’m dying, Tsukimi-san. Guaranteed to be dead by the end of the year, so what better way to give my life than for you who can go on to save others?”

She stared at him in shock, his words washing over her but refusing to sink it. “Y-You…”

He only grinned at her. “Goodnight, Tsukimi-san.”

Pouring the bottle of river water over the fire, he plunged them into darkness.

.

.

.

Later that night, Komaeda awoke to a heavy weight pressing against him from above. Upon opening his eyes, he found himself staring upon a pale face, a trace of moonlight filtering in through a crack and landing upon her frame.

“Tsumiki-san…” His gaze drifted toward the knife poised in her arm and he smiled. “I wondered when you would take action, I was beginning to worry I might have to attack in order to provoke you.”

Her eyes narrowed, lips pressed together into a thin line though he could see the beads of sweat dotting her forehead and the slight tremors in her hand.

“F-From the beginning…” She murmured, voice quiet. “You… knew right?”

“That you purposefully waited by that stream, aware I was coming along and would bump into you? Oh yes, I could tell your intentions from the very beginning. Certainly your shy and quiet demeanor would make even the most wary of people let their guard down, am I right?”

Her gaze averted to the side, biting down on her lower lip. She must have truthfully believed he wouldn’t harm her if she could afford to look away.

“I’m liable to believe that your clumsy capture by those others was intentional too, further inventing the image of being weak and helpless whilst also having me get rid of others for you.”

Her expression softened. “I… I don’t want to kill you.” She mumbled. “But…”

“But?” He probed when she went silent.

Shoulders hunching, she met his gaze again, tears prickling at the corner of her eyes and teeth gritted together. “B-But I have someone I love back home and I… I have to return to them!”

His lips twitched into a smile. “Murder for the hope of a reunited love, how beautiful.”

“W-W-Why won’t you fight back?” She cried, becoming more and more frustrated as she glared at him, voice trembling. “Y-You should hate me! E-Everyone hates me… even though I never do anything wrong. S-So why… why won’t you, when I’m going to kill you!?” Voice now a screech, her hand tightened on his shoulder, nails biting through the fabric and into his skin.

Komaeda only smiled in response. “Because you’re my angel of death.”

She stilled. “Huh?”

Raising his remaining hand, his fingertips brushed against her cheek, causing the girl to flinch and jerk away though Komaeda refused to relent and cupped one of her cheeks in his hand.

Staring down at him with confusion, Tsumiki wondered what he was thinking. Her arm hurt from holding the knife above for so long, so she gradually lowered it. Komaeda seemed to take this as further invitation since in the next moment he abruptly sat up, causing the girl straddling his waist to fall back and land in his lap.

Using his shoulder to steady herself, she lifted her head, emitting a soft noise upon realising how close his face was. Quickly pulling her head away, she was met with resistance when one of his hands weaved into the locks of hair at the back of head, drawing her nearer as their mouths came closer.

“N-No…”

However, his lips never met hers.

Instead, she found her head being cajoled to rest upon his shoulder, Komaeda opting to stroke her hair and lean his face against the top of her head.

“I’m done for… But maybe _you_ can help keep the hope alight for Panem.”

Remaining silent, she only listened to his words, staring ahead with a tearful gaze. Were they recording the two of them right now, somewhere? Was everyone watching this intimate appearing scene? They must all hate her, right?... 

“Hm, maybe in another life were we to meet under different circumstances, you could have been my cute little nurse.”

She blushed at that, even more so when he laughed afterward to prove he was only teasing.

As his laughter faded, only their shallow breathing disrupted the quiet atmosphere. Slowly raising her hands, she placed one against his back, the other holding the knife so that it aimed for the area of the connection between his spinal cord and brain.  One move, and it’d be over with in an instant.

“Good luck, Tsumiki-san.”

She smiled softly, tears blurring her vision.

“Good luck… Komaeda-san.”

The knife plunged into his neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tsumiki here is mix of Non!Despair with a little Despair mixed in. After the murder of Komaeda however, she soon fell further into Despair and went on to kill all the remaining contenders in a deranged state and win the games.


	4. Purity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Tsumiki discovers Komaeda's cancerous illness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally a tumblr prompt: "Ah, how about KomaMiki with Mikan finding out about Nagito’s illness?"

“Eeeeh!? Y-You have cancer?”

The boy beside her nods casually, admiring a seashell he’d picked up from the sand and acting as if he **_hadn’t_** just dropped a major truth bomb upon her fragile state of mind.

Tsumiki had literally bumped into the luckster upon walking down the beach, and somehow the two had come to sit side by side in the sand at his suggestion. Although nervous, Tsumiki had been quite happy until he’d suddenly told her _that_.

“Yes. Shortly before being accepted into Hope’s Peak I was diagnosed with stage three malignant lymphoma as well as frontotemporal dementia.” 

Her eyes widened with this news, staring down at her lap. “B-But that’s…” Her voice trailed off. To have such a diagnosis so young… the life expectation couldn’t be that long-

“You’re right. I was given six months to a year when I entered the school.” Komaeda went on, somehow being able to read her thoughts. (Or perhaps she’d been mumbling aloud?) There was a pause, before he glanced aside at her with a brilliant smile. “I considered the good luck of attending such a beautiful academy to balance out such an unfortunate thing. And now I even find myself honoured to be in the presence of all you who embody hope. Why, I could die tomorrow and would be quite happy to -“

_“P-Please don’t say things like that!!”_

“…Hm?” Cutting off at her abrupt exclamation, Komaeda cocked his head to the side as he watched her, waiting for her to go on. He didn’t seem at all surprised by her outburst.

Lips pressing together tightly for a moment, her eyes glanced from side to side nervously as she spoke. “If… If Komaeda-san died, w-we would all be very upset! So… So, um, p-please don’t talk about it in such a care-free manner!” Squeezing her eyes shut as she yelled the latter part, her hands clenched tightly in her lap.

The luckster stared at her for a moment, a moment of surprise on his face before he broke into another wide smile once again. “Aah, how thankful I am to have someone as talented as you worried for trash like me. I clearly don’t deserve such treatment, but thank you very much for your kind words Tsumiki-san.”

“Uuuu… Komaeda-san, I’m sorry-”

“Here.”

Raising her head at that, the nurse blinked away tears upon finding him offering her the seashell he’d been toying with whilst they sat there. However, upon staring she found it wasn’t actually a seashell, but-

“A... pearl?”

He nodded. “I found an intact clam before you came by, and it happened to have this inside. Beautiful isn’t it?”

Tsumiki was an awe. Weren’t pearls supposed to be very rare to find? Then again, for someone with the title SHSL Good Luck, it wasn’t all too unexpected for him to find one. At his insistence, she held out her hands and allowed him to drop it into her grasp, staring down at the white pearl.

Placing his hands behind him on the sand to support himself, Komaeda turned his attention forward toward the sea. “Did you know, Tsumiki-san? Pearls are said to attract wealth, luck and also grant protection. Amazing.”

“Eh? Ah, uhm, n-no… I didn’t know.” She wasn’t sure how to react to the change in topic. After a moment she settled for trying to give it back to him, however he shook his head and spoke on.

“Gems are also known to symbolise the wearer, it’s said. In particular, qualities such as purity and generosity.” His lips quirked up. “Someone filthy like me could never hope to symbolise such traits.”

She frowned, gaze focused on the small object in her hands. She’d never been gifted such a beautiful item before. She felt… happy but also unsure how to respond. The fact she now knew he was dying continued to heavily weigh down on her, eventually leading her to hold out the pearl to him once again.

“Hm? Ah you can keep it Tsumiki-san.”

She kept her hands out however, cheeks turning slightly red as she forced herself to speak. “If it grants protection th-then... I want Komaeda-san to have it. I-I’m useless and can’t help with your illness, I’m really sorry. But… m-maybe this will help…?” Oh what was she saying? She was being stupid and silly and he probably already hated her by now, right? Tears began to reform in her eyes at the thought, outstretched hands trembling slightly.

Gazing at her with surprise once again, Komaeda’s expression then melted into a smile and although she expected him not to, he accepted the pearl back and pocketed it. “Thank you, I’ll treasure it.”

“Huaaa…” Letting out a sound of relief, she then perked back up again a moment later when she heard their names being called. Turning her head, she found Ibuki along with a few others calling them from in the distance.

“Haah, it seems our secret rendezvous has been interrupted.”

“R-Rendezvous? Uuuu, p-please don’t say things that might make people misunderstaaand!!”

“Hahaha.”  



End file.
